The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (12 page)

Bund looked stunned. “Mother?” He reached out a hand to Raven. “No. It can’t be.” There was real fear in his voice.

Raven sat. Everything stilled.

All sounds were sucked from the room and Koa started to shake. Koa didn’t know what was happening. She thought that she was going mad. After all that Bund had said about roasting her mother and killing her, he sounded, afraid.

Koa’s vision started to fade. Her vision became blurry. “Raven…run!”

Halston stepped in behind her mother, and Koa nearly shouted for joy. He was like her guardian angel, always there when she needed him. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming but the room filled with the most radiant light she’d ever seen. Everything turned white in her eyes and she felt as if she was being lifted up to Heaven. Her vision cleared.

Bund glared at her and howled. Then, he dropped her and flew from the room so quickly that he looked like nothing more than a black shadow.

Halston stepped into the empty space that Bund left behind and grabbed Koa into his arms.

Koa clutched his neck. “Oh, Halston, you came,” she whispered and her eyes fluttered closed.

H
alston felt his heart break when he saw Koa in such agony. She passed out in his arms and he held her there, close to him. He was furious. He was hurt. Koa had lied to him, and now she was injured. Bund’s poisonous wounds would not be easy to heal.

Too many emotions filled Halston. More than he was used to feeling at the same time. Anger and grief. Fear and frustration. He no longer felt…in control.

Bund had escaped. Bund, a demon from his past, and a demon by nature, had escaped Halston…yet again. Halston had spent centuries hunting him down. Once again, he had failed. He balled his hand into a fist and pounded the ground. The entire room shook.

Bund had seen Halston. Halston had taken his prize…Koa. Now, Halston feared that the demons revenge would be more than they would be prepared for.

Raven ran over to him. “Halston! The vamps! They’re taking their second form!”

Halston looked up from under his brows. His eyes were full of rage. He watched the pieces of bone reconnect in a new form. The Netherworld vamps, had taken their second form. They had…reanimated themselves.

Twelve reanimated men stood before him. They were deformed creatures. They looked like giant, feral, wolves. All muscle and bone. No skin or fur, or anything but large fangs, yellow eyes, and sharp claws. Their legs were bent in, and even though they stood on all fours, they were nearly as tall as Halston.

Halston held Koa up with one arm and pulled out his infinity gun with the other. A metallic ring echoed throughout the room as the silver infinity gun was loosened from its holster.

The room felt smaller with the massive creatures crowding it. Things were about to get really messy. Halston glared at them all. He refused to let another creature escape that lair.

“Should I leave?” Raven asked in a whisper. Her green eyes had grown large as she watched the reanimated men prepare to try their luck with Halston.

Halston nodded once. “Go.”

Raven ran, and with the sudden movement, the reanimated men charged. Growls were cut off when Halston held Koa’s limp body close to his chest, lifted the barrel, cocked it once, and shot. A loud explosion drowned all sounds out. Time seemed to warp and slow as a single, silver, bullet shot out from the barrel and screamed with rage.

Halston narrowed his eyes in hatred. He watched the bullet collect speed, light, and energy as it raced through the room. None of the reanimated men had a chance to run. The single bullet ripped through them within seconds. The bullet cut through brains, hearts, lungs…and enjoyed every minute of it.

Like Koa’s Lyrinian sword, it seemed to have a mind of its own. The infinity gun was more than a weapon.

It was judgment.

The bullet squealed like a train and returned to Halston’s gun. It reentered its home and all was silent. Not even a full minute had passed. Reanimated bodies were sprawled on the floor.

There was a great deal of writhing. The bodies bubbled, popped, and melted into pools of thick black blood. There would be no third change. It was over for them.

Halston drew in a breath and let it out slowly. He looked at Koa’s face and felt his brows draw in. He loved her. He couldn’t deny it. The feeling frightened him. He wanted nothing more than to shelter and protect her.

Halston hugged her close and kissed her forehead. He closed his eyes and simply held her there, breathing her sweet scent, and listening to her soft heartbeat. He loved her, but he knew right then that he would have to do something that would hurt her. She might hate him for it…there was a lot that she might hate him for…but it was necessary.

Halston drew in another breath. Koa weakened him. His heart was tearing. “I love you,” he whispered. He almost wished that she was awake to hear the words he’d been thinking for years now, but he was grateful that she didn’t hear him.

He sighed. His jaw tensed. Halston knew what he had to do. “But you need to learn.”

K
oa woke up in the most comfortable bed she’d ever been in. She sighed and sprawled out across the puffy white covers that felt as though they were stuffed with clouds. She winced in pain and her eyes popped open. Sharp, searing, pain stunned her into an agonizing squeal.

Koa held her breath, too afraid to make another move lest the pain get worse. She felt her heart speed. She wasn’t used to this kind of pain. Sun spilled into the room through a wall made of glass. Koa looked around and the wrinkles in her forehead smoothed. She felt safe.

This was Halston’s bedroom.

Koa covered herself with the blankets and looked around. He wasn’t there. She looked down at her clothing and saw that she wore nothing but her bra and panties.

Koa had been in Halston’s bed before. The first time she had seen Halston had been by chance. After her father’s murder, Koa had been a ruthless girl. She had been lucky that Halston had found her. He had tamed her.

Five years ago, on a warm night in London, Koa had been drunk on bourbon and blood. She was sprawled across a park bench near a pub when Halston had found her.

Koa remembered it well. She thought about it often. Like a guardian angel, there Halston had been, looking down at her with his bright golden hair and crystalline blue eyes. When Koa felt his hand touch her forehead, she had opened her eyes and had really thought that she was dreaming. He was perfect and she couldn’t resist.

Koa had grabbed Halston by the back of his neck and kissed him. The kiss had been magical. Halston didn’t stop her. Koa touched her lips at the memory. She could still taste Halston’s tongue.

A smile came to her lips, despite the lingering pain. At seventeen, she had been a naïve girl, torn by feelings of revenge, guilt, and fear. Still, her vampire side made her impervious to fear.

Koa often suspected less than noble intentions from men, but the night she had met Halston, she knew she could trust him. She felt safe around him. So, drunk like a college freshman at her first frat party, Koa let him take her to his place.

When Koa woke up the next morning years ago, she had found Halston sitting in a white leather chair by that glass wall overlooking the city, watching her.

Koa had been but a child back then…a child who had no idea what was in store for her future. She sighed and closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. Once again, Halston had saved her from her own horrible choices. She hated to face him after all that she had done wrong.

She bit the inside of her lip and tried to remember what had happened. Another sharp pain in her side immediately reminded her. Bund.

Koa yelped as Raven leapt onto the pure white covers and tackled her. Raven licked her face. “Are you all right darling?”

Koa held her tight and tried to keep from moving too much. She cautiously propped herself up on the soft pillows. Koa couldn’t help but squeeze her mother tight. “I am. Where is Halston?”

Raven curled up next to Koa’s head. “He is in the shower.” Koa nodded and looked at the door to Halston’s private bathroom suite. She almost smiled at the image of him in there without any clothes on. The pain made her grimace instead.

Koa sighed. “What happened…back at the lair?”

Raven licked her paw. “What do you mean? Halston rescued you.”

Koa sat up on her elbows. “I mean, before Halston came in. You did something.”

Raven tilted her head and gave Koa a blank look. She shook her head. “Nonsense. You are imagining things. Would you like some orange juice?”

Koa frowned.
Was I imagining things
? She shook her head. Koa knew what she saw. “Wait a minute!” Koa yelled.

The pain kept her from hopping onto her knees. She winced at the burning sensation in her side. Weakly, Koa pointed at Raven. “I saw you. What did you do? Don’t lie to me!”

Koa pursed her lips when Halston opened the door to the bathroom and let waves of steam out. He peeked around the door to see what the commotion was about. His hair was wild and yet, he still looked perfect. Koa wanted to see more. Her cheeks flushed at her thoughts.

“Everything all right?”

Koa nodded and he came out of the bathroom and dried his hair with a towel. She looked away from his bare chest as her cheeks reddened even more. She had never seen a man naked before. Koa could only imagine what Halston was hiding beneath his towel. She squeezed her eyes shut.

You’re ridiculous
, Koa thought to herself.
This is not what you’re supposed to be thinking about
!

“What’s all the fuss?”

Koa looked at her mother, who licked her paws sheepishly. Koa knew something was up.

“How are you feeling? Do you need something for the pain?”

Koa shook her head. “It’s ok. I can handle it.” She searched his eyes, wondering when the scolding would begin, hoping he would let this incident slide.

Halston nodded and walked over to Koa. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers back. Raven moved out of the way and he took a look at Koa’s bandaged side where Bund had split her skin.

Koa remembered just how deep he had cut her. She looked down expecting to see her side completely healed, instead, there was still blood on the bandage and she could still see some of her muscle. She was stunned. She’d always been able to heal almost instantly.

Halston sighed. It wasn’t good.

“How long have I been here?” Her eyes were wide with fright. Halston sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hair. He was calm. She wished such calmness would rub off on her. She did enjoy the feel of his hand on her hair.